Selecting machine



Nov. 25, 1930. I 4 ERS 1,782,442

SELECTING MACHINE Filed y 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 even as mcmmsr- 8 FEEDER" 9 TOOL H. F150 lo scnzw M.

INVENTOR Jarmes Boa/ens -@MA yu: A'ITORNFY Patented Nov. 25, 1930 umrsowsrares SAID JAMES POWERS, DECEASED snnno'rrue MACHINE Application filed July 23,

This inventionrelates to machines or devices for selecting items or combinations of items relating to other items and more particularly to means for selecting combinations of statistical information relating to individual persons or objects or to selecting cards having such information thereon, though it is. noted that theinvention vis not limited to selection of cards nor in some respects even to statistical information. p

a One object of the inventionis to provide an apparatus or system of this kindwhich may be used over and over in the, same business or in many different businesses and for di iierout and varying, facts without additional costof equipment or material after the first cost, and withoutwastage of material by mistakes 'or otherwise. r a 1 'Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus or device of this kind which can be used in combination with index card systems or the like already-in use without material change in the systems. a Another object of ,theinvention is to provide an apparatus or device: of this kind whichmay be used with card index or other systems forselecting the designating numbers of the cards sought and printing such numbers on aimemorandum slip. V

Other objects ofthe invention are to improve generallythe simplicity and efficiency of suchdevices and to provide a device or apparatusofthis kind '{whichis durable and reliable in operation, andgextremely, e001 nomical in operation,hand economical to manufacture. I i i Still other objects of the invention will appear as the:dQSCIlPtlOIIPIfOCQQdSi; and while herein'details of the invention are described the invention and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and vario-us changes may be made without departing from the scope of as claimed in the broader claims. v i

The invention features for the accomplislr 1925. Serial Nd. 124,480.

ment of these andother objects are shown hereininconneetionwith an improved select;

ing machine which, briefly stated, includes a plurality of yieldably movable record units, or record bars, each associated with and bearing a designating number corresponding to i one oifa plurality of record cards, each card carrying the designating number, the name of the individual, and a plurality of characteristics of the individual someof which may r or may not satisfy the combination sought. Removable replaceable indicators, or indicator pins, are connected to said units respectively in positions to indicateithe presence of corresponding characteristics onwthe associ' ated card; and selectors, or selectorbars,

corresponding to such characteristics are suitably located to be at will actuated to. en gage with the indicatorswhen present to prevent movement of the units, whereby the number of the corresponding card maybe noted.

Also if desired I provide a plurality of printing means each corresponding to one of the record units and adapted toprint the number of suchunit. Each printing means is set by such unit when said movement takes. place after which it maybeactuated by a sui able means which will not actuate fie-printing means thatrhave not been setf v This invention relates;particularly to mechanical devices and methods or systems whereby a single fact or combination of facts relating to an individual item may be found and selected and a record printed of same at a moments notice, without the aid of specially punched, notched or otherwise specially prepared paper or metal cards, thus eliminating the expense of the cards, which in some; large businesses runinto thousands of dollars, even without counting the cards that are punched wrongly and mustbe replaced and the wasteof the cards WhGDDBWi records must replace old ones. i

i I am fully a varethatthe selection oigcombeen used in the United States Census Bureau and are being used at present by different United States Government departments and industrial and commercial firms under, for instance, my United States Patents No. 992,246 of May 16, 1911 for perforating machines; No. 1,061,118 of May 6, 1918 for machines for compiling and sorting statistics, and No. 1,224,411 of May 1, 1917 for tabulating machines.

My previous system of gathering statistical facts, or those of my competitors, require, as essentials to accomplish the desired result, (1) specially prepared printed and punched cards, (2) a special machine for punching the facts indices in the cards, and a special sorting machine to sort the punched cards to select the cards indicating the desired facts.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate entirely the use of punched cards 1 and to do away with the special card-punching machine and the special card-sorting machine, and instead to provide a simple inezrpensive universal apparatus which can be adapted to any kind of business of any nature whatsoever where statistical facts have to be selected.

Its construction is of such character that its capacity can be increased as the volume of the business it is used in is increased, merely by adding extra units or sections. Each old or new unit is adaptable for any business whatsoever, as the fact indicators carried by these units are removable and replaceable and can one day be used, for instance, for the automobile industry and the neXt day for the real estate business, being universally interchangeable and adaptable.

In my former statistical system when a card was wrongly punched it constituted a waste of time, labor and expense and was a total loss; in my present system should a record unit be wrongly set up, all that is necessary is to properly replace the changeable indicators and thus adapt the record unit for the required information.

In the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example, one of the many possible embodiments of th invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmental front elevation, partly in vertical section on line 11 of Fig. parts being removed, showing the front of the machine case and. the record units;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the record units and their selecting means, said section being; taken on the line 2 2 of Fi g. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow f said line;

Fig. 2" shows a. fragmental section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow of said line.

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view, partly in plan, showing the principal parts of the device;

Figs. 4 and 4 are front elevations showing examples of record cards;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmental perspective views showing the upper ends of record units and alternative forms of indicator pins;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmental sectional views showing record units and different p051- tions of indicator pins and selector bars;

Fig. 10 is a fragmental front elevation showing a code or table indicating which information items are selected by the respective selectors; and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic fragmental side elevation showing a printing means and associated record unit.

Very briefly stated, my means for selecting individual items having certain combinations of characteristics includes a plurality of record cards 125 each carrying a designation 126 and matter 128, 1 7 designating the individual item and a plurality of characteristics thereof, and a selecting machine including a plurality of movable record bars corresponding to and bearing designations 43 (Fig. 5) corresponding to the respective items. These bars carry removable replaceable indicator pins disposed respectively in positions to indicate the presence of corresponding characteristics on the cards. Means 31, 32, 35 are provided for temporarily raising the record bars, and selector bars 67 corresponding to said respective characteristics are located to engage, one at a time only, with the indicator pins 60, when present, to permit the downward movement of the units not held raised for selecting said designations. A printing means (Fig. 11) settable by and corresponding to the record bars prints the number of the record bar finally selected for convenience, if desired.

The selecting machine will now be described in detail. The various parts of the selecting machine are carried in a housing or a case 10 including a rectangular base 11, a bottom plate 12 (Fig. 2) resting on the base within the margin thereof around which plate are disposed front, side and rear Walls 13, 14, 15 (Fig. 3) resting on said base and secured to the edge faces of said plate.

An upper plate 18 (Fig. 2) is secured to the top margin of the inner face of the front and side walls 13, 14 and terminates in an edge 19 parallel to and spaced from the rear wall. A cover plate 20 disposed over the upper plate and top edges of said front, rear and side walls and secured to the upper plate is provided with an elongated opening disposed just to the rear of said edge and receiving a removable plate 22 having rabbetted side edges resting on the edges of. said opening and provided with an intramarginal elongated opening 24, a pair of downward- 1y projecting guide flanges 25 on each side of the opening 24 and downturned ends 26 having recesses 27 yieldably engaged with inner projections on the side walls to hold the plate 22 in place.

A pair of spaced horizontal guide bars 29 disposedside by side across the rear of the case near and parallel to the rear wall somewhat above the bottom plate and secured to the side walls receive therebetween the vertically disposed record bars lO resting on a lifting rod 31 connecting the rear ends of a pair of levers 32 intermediately fulcrumed on fulcrum screws 33 on the exterior of the lower part of the side walls and extending forward thereof and carrying a manipulating rod 35 connecting the front ends of the levers.

The lifting rod 31 passes through openings 36 in said side walls 14 and is normally disposed under the space between the bars 29 and is movable into said. space when the manipulating rod is depressed, thereby to raise the record bars 1-0. Stop pins 41 on the exterior of the side walls limit the downward movement of the levers, lifting rod and record bars.

The record bars 40 are vertically guided edgewise to, and between, said guide bars. 29 and flanges 25 and normally rest on said lifting rod 31, and are each provided with an upper reduced portion 42 carrying anumher or other identifying character d3 (Fig. 5) adapted to be projected through said intramarginal opening 24L when the'record bar is raised by depression of the manipulating rod 35. End guide pieces 45 (Fig. 1) mounted on the side walls and engaging the upper part of the end record bars 40 hold the latter upright; while guide pins 46 disposed across the end portions of said guide bars hold the lower ends of the end record bars against displacement toward said side walls.

A detent spring l8 (Fig. 3) having a spring coil 49 anchored on the lower part of the front wall. is provided with a long arm 50 having a laterally turned end 51 projecting through the front wall and upwardly and backwardly hooked as at 52 (Fig. 2) to engage the front of the manipulating rod 35 to retain the latter depressed and the record bars temporarily raised, fora purpose to be explained.

Fach record bar 40 is formed with front and rear flanges 54 and 55 (Fig. 5) laterally 7 its front end 62 snugly fitting in and projecting forward of the front perforation 56. The rear part of the arms 63 of said pins are rearwardly diverged and formed into retaining cam shoulders 64 engaging the rear flange for holding the pin against accidental rearward displacement.

The record bars 40 can be easily withdrawn for the insertion or removal of the pins by first removing the plate 22 and then lifting out the desired bar.

It is not necessary to remove the indicator pin entirely from the record bar 40, in order to render the pin inoperative. For instance, the pin as in Fig. 5 could be withdrawn fully or partially from the hole '56, so as to clear the selector bar 67 in all positions of the latter. In this way'the pins though inoperative, could remain associated with the record bar. I

in Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of retaining pin 60 comprising a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of arms 63 joined and lying upon each other at the front end 62 to form an active front end projected through the front perforation 56, the arms rearwardly diverging and then being turned inward as at 65, but not into normal contact, to provide a notch forming a rearward shoulder 6d engaging the flange at the rear perforation 57 to prevent rearward movement of the pin. The arms are rearwardly continued to form spaced manipulating portions 61 adapted to be forced together to bring the wire together at 65 to permit the pins to be rearwardly Withdrawn.

A pair of vertical pivot spindles 65 (Fig. 3) mounted between said bottom and upper plates 12, 18 near the side walls and a distance forward of said guide bars 29 carry a plurality of pivoted links 66 of equal length, these in turn carrying the selector bars 67 having if desired upper rear bevels 68 (Fig. 7) and disposed across the interior of the case and pivoted to corresponding links 66 of the two spindles, being thereby movably retained parallel to said guide bars.

A vertical fulcrum shaft 69 (Fig. 3) mounted between said bottom and upper plates about midway between and somewhat forward of said spindles carries selecting levers 7 O intermediately fulcrumed thereon, each lever having an inner arm 71 parallel to corresponding links 66 and connected by a loose pin and slot connection 72, 73 with a corresponding selecting bar 67.

The outer arm 7 5 of each selecting lever projects through one of a plurality of slots 76 (Fig. 1) in the front wall and carries a manipulating button 77 provided with a fact-designating number or other character whereby each lever may be selected and shifted to move the associated selectingbar 67 to active position under the corresponding indicator pins 60. Springs 88 (Fig. 3) are tensioned between said outer arms 75 and anchor pins 79 on the case, whereby the selecting bars are yieldably moved to the right to inactive position.

Spacing sleeves 80, 81 (Fig. 2) and collars 82, 83 on said spindles and shaft 69 serve to position and retain said selecting bars 67 and levers at the proper height just to engage under such pins as are present opposite thereto to retain raised the previously raised selecting bars carrying such pins.

A universal shaft 89 (Fig. pivoted between said plates 12 and 18 carries fast thereon a plurality of inwardly hooked detents 90 engageable with detent pins 92 carried on each outer arm thereby to hold such arm shifted and the associated selecting bar 66 in operative position.

A releasing arm 93 (Fig. 2) fast on the lower part of the universal shaft engages the rear of the long arm 50 of said detent spring 48 to disengage the detent spring from the manipulating bar 35 when the universal shaft is rotated.

A push link 95 (Fig. 3) pivoted on an actuating arm 96 fast on said universal shaft projects through an opening in said front wall and carries an exterior push button 97, whereby all of the detents and said detent spring 48 may be at will moved to releasing position. A spring 98 compressed between the push button and the case yieldably holds said detents on the detent pins, and permits yielda-bly pivotal movement of the universal shaft thereby to disengage any engaged detent 90 or said detent spring 48 when the universal bar is moved pivotally by saidpush link or by the engagement of a detent pin with another detent, whereby said lifting bar or only one retaining bar can be held active at a time.

A fulcrum rod 100 (Fig. 11) disposed above the case 10, longitudinal tothe line of said reduced ends 42 of the record bars carries a plurality of lifting levers 101 terminally fulcrumed thereon and intermediately resting on the upper end portions 42 respectively of the record bars and in turn carrying interposing pieces 102 pivoted upright on the free end of the lifting levers respectively and each provided at the upper end with a flat advance face 103 and intermediately with a cam lug 104. A horizontal fulcrum shaft 105 above said lifting levers carries fast thereon an actuating device comprising a body portion 107, a handle 108, arms 109 and a universal bar 110 carried by the arms parallel to said shaft, and adapted when the body is rotated by the handle 108 to clear the cam lugs 104 of the normally disposed interposing pieces, and to engage the cam lugs 104 of the raised pie es to cause said advanced face 103 to move rearwardly against the action of springs 111 on the lifting levers respectively and serving for restoring the interposing pieces thereof after actuation. A stop rod 112 limits the restoring movement of the pieces.

Striking levers 115 pivoted as at 116 above said pieces respectively, are each provided with a downturned motive arm 117, just within reach of the raised interposing piece when moved rearwardly, and a normally horizontal active arm 118 having a downturned striking end 119 provided with a printing type 120 corresponding to an associated record bar 40, and adapted, under the action of a spring 121 for lowering said striking end, to strike and print upon paper 122 carried by a platen 123 disposed under said type 120.

Said advanced face 103 when moved rearwardly by said universal bar 110 serves to move said motive arm 117 rearwardly thereby to raise said striking end 119, and then to force said motive arm 117 from its path to permit the type 120 to fall under the action of the spring 121 and print the number corresponding to the raised record bar, whereby the paper may serveas a memorandum for finding the correspondingly numbered cards 125 (Fig. 4).

Each record card 125 carries a designation corresponding to the record bar, indicia of characteristics which may or may not be those sought and indicia of the individual to which those characteristics relate.

In Fig. 4 is an example of such a card. This card bears the designation number 126 corresponding to the number 43 (Fig. 5) and the indicia 127 of the various characteristics or facts relating to the individual shown by the name 128.

The installation of the system in an establishment already having a card index may be as follows:

Numbers 126 (Fig. 4) are applied in regular order to the old cards corresponding to the numbers 43 (Fig. 5) of the record bars. A list or code 130 (Fig. 10) of characteristics equal in number to the number of buttons 77 (Fig. 1) is prepared and the names 131 of these characteristics are given numbers 132, placed opposite these names corresponding to the numbers on the buttons 77.

If the work of inserting the pins 60 is to be done by relatively unintelligent labor, a characteristics or fact number 135 (Fig. 4) is placed after each characteristic 127 of each card 125 corresponding to the designating number of the respective characteristics on the code 130. Then the record bars 40 are taken one at a time and the pins 60 inserted in the perforations 57, 56 thereof in locations relative to the numbers on the associated buttons 77 corresponding to the numbers 135 of the characteristics on the cards 125. This is continued until pins 60 are set up in respective record bars corresponding to all of the cards 125.

40 to the position I s s then shifts theubutton77 carryingthe um;

- 70 engages and' is caught bytheassociated bered11,-thusthrowing back the correspond ing selecting barfunder allthe indicator pins ing in raised position all of the record bars having eleventh row pins, at the same tlme The operation of the system isillustrated as follows:

Suppose, for instance, itIis desiredto send- American 1 Foreign -i .iifarried Single NotoverBS Over i i Machinist p .Feeder Toolmaker Reference is made to the Code and it is noted that the characteristics nearest those requirements areas follows? (7Y) Machinist and (11) Gas engine experience, the operator first depresses the manipulating bar 35 (Fig. 2,) thus raisin all of the record bars Fig; 8. y The operator ber 7, whereupon the. associated barGTis moved rearwardly under all'thepins which have been inserted in theseiienth rowjfroln the top to indieate machinists. .At the same time the associated detent pin 92 on the lever detent-QQ, retaining thebar 67 in rearward position and rocking-the shaft 89 and arm 93 Fig'. 2) and the deterit spring lS, thus reg leasing andpermitting to falliall oftheirecordbars 40' except those" that are hung up by the seventh row pins indicating machinists.

The operatornext looks on his :code130 and notesthat gas engine experts aremarked 11), and then he shifts the button'77 numdisposed in the, eleventh roivvfromthe top to indicate gas engine experts. Durin this movement, the detent pin, 92 is, caught by and rocks the ,associatelddetent 90, thus. holdrocking-all of the detentsQOand releasing the previously anchored, seventh-row bar 67 and releasing all of the record bars having seventh-row pins but not eleventh-row pins, andretaining the still raisedrecord bars with the numbers 43 "(Fig.1 3 )"projectedi The numbers 48 are then inspected, or the handle 108 (Fig..1l) is actuated, thus printin'g all of. thefprojected numbers :43, where- ,upon the correspondingly numberedcards 125 arereadily found. 5 Thecard125 of Fig. 4 represents one of the. cards thus found in the above given example of the operation.

Should it, be found. that there are "many cards showing the above requirements, the

, nperator could, on seeing the, largenumber of record bars still raised, shift other buttons 77 representing additional requirements,

until only a few record bars are left raised. For instance, the operatorwinladdition to shifting buttons-numbered? andlL as above stated, might also shift successively-,but in any preferred order, the buttons numbered 1,

4:, 5, 10, 12, 13, 1 1, 15 and p16, andifind that there might still be recordbars leftraised Cards corresponding to these, for. example,

the card 125 of Fig. 4:? would show all of.

the required and manyadditional qualifica tions. i

After the required selection has been made andthe numbers observed orprinted, all the bars may be lowered by pressing thebut- 1301197. G I 7. As it, requires only a second or two, to operate each button and the printing means, many selections may be lna'dein avery few minutes. 1 The presence oruse of thelifting bar 31 and associated part is not absolutely neces sary, since the whole apparatus may be turned upside-down, so that the record bars O will move to thenormal upper end of the apparatus by gravity. y, 7 i I; 1

After this has been accomplished, the de-.

sired button 77 firsttobe pressed, may fbe pressed and the apparatus then again moved to upright position, afterwhichthe remainder of the operation is asyabovedes'cribed,

j Iii-introducing myneursrsteinin oldjestablished businesses, theyjdo nor throw away their already in use. Allfth need tochange necessary is to l index system mark therecord unitsa they, are set upj to corresponding with the old index cards, that 1s, wlth the same numbers as the old ndex cards have beeneri nally marked, or to,

s I H s i mark the cards to correspond with numbers ion the record units, whereby if,'for instance,

machine selected record units numbered 8, 9, 15 and 33, it would indicate that. the

index cards numbered 3, 9', '15 and 33 wcre a theones that contain the statisticalinformat on looked for. i

punching and sorting machines and the up. keep of these machinesfmakesit prohibitive for, thousands of concernsto employ the punched cardsystem, whereas my present system, which is very simpleand inexpen- The enormous eXpense of punched cards,

sive, would involve only the onefirst and last cost, holding for the user a constantly .in-

stantancously. accessible supply of statistical information about any'phase of his business.

Illustrations of the operationyand adaptability of themachine are as follows:

-- The pins of each record unit are set up accordance withthe facts related to the items of the index cards already in use in therbusiness and are marked withthe same numbers.

For instance, suppose these rccordswere set for alarge machineshop employing two t. ousand men, and a certain emergency arlses I where the management requires five men with the following qual1ficat1ons:

A. All around machinist B. Not over 35 years of age C. American D. Single E. lVilling to travel F. Expert on gas engines Gr. Speaks Spanish H. High school graduate.

To find these by hand would require several hours study of all the two thousand index cards and to do this by the punched card system would also require hours, as the sorting machine works on only one fact index at a time only, which would "require, in this example, running the cards through the machine seven dili'erent times. In my present machine, I can accomplish the selection of these facts as fast as it takes to press seven buttons or actuate seven levers, considerably less than a minute. After raising up all the record units, the operator shifts the button 77 numbered 7 for machinists, and all the record units will automatically drop except those with tact indicators located to indicate ma chinists which will remain hanging on the selecting bar connected with said button. Next is shifted the fifth button 77 for not over 35 years of age, automatically releasing, the previously shifted button. Then the indicators in the fifth row will hang on the fifth selecting bar, and by shifting the buttons 77 numbered 1, 4t, 15, 11 and 16 one after another in any order all those record bars not indicating the facts the operator is looking for will be eliminated and drop downward. IVhen any button 7 7 is shifted and no record bars are left hanging it will indicate that there is not a single machinist that contains all these qualifications looked for, but if there were any record bars hanging at the end of the operation, the numbers 43 projected on these record bars will indicate and correspond to the numbers on the index cards where these mens full stories are given.

The universal and interchangeable flexibility of this machine can be readily seen, when the same machine of the example just illustrated above for the use in a machine shop business could as readily be used the next day in renting department of real estate business. A party may inquire for A. An apartment B. Five rooms C. 55150 a month Fl D. Located on Riven G.

' side Drive able to tell a prospective renter whether he could be accommodated, thereby saving time and energy for the agent and the renter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a plurality of record units, means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move in the same direction to a normal position, means for moving all of said units to a position removed from normal, indicators carried by said units, selectors mounted for movement into position to be engaged by adjacent indicators to prevent the return of said units to normal position, means for moving said selectors individually into said engaging position, and means for preventing more than one selector from assuming its said position at the same time.

2. In combination, a plurality of record units; means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move in the same direction to a normal position from which the units may be moved to a position removed from normal; means for so movingthe units from said position; indicators carried by said units; selectors mounted for movement into position to be engaged by adjacent indicators to prevent the return of said units to normal position; and means for preventing more than one selector from assuming its engaging position at the same time.

3. In combination, a plurality of record units; means formountingsaid units so that they each tend to move in the same direction to a normalposition; means for simultaneously moving all of said units in the opposite direction to a position removed from normal; indicators associated with said units; a plurality of selectors; means for mounting said selectors for movement into position to be engaged by adjacent indicators toprevent the return of said units to normal position, means for moving said selectors individually into said engaging position; and means for preventing more than one selector from assuming its said position at the same time. i

4. In combination, a plurality of record units; means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move in the same direction to a normal position; means for moving all of said units to a position removed fromnormal; indicator pins removably mounted on said units; selector bars'mounted for movement into position to be engaged. by adjacent indicators to prevent the return otsaid units to normal. position.

5. In combination, a plurality of bars;

means for mounting said bars si'de-by-side and so that they each tend to move in the same direction to a normal position; means for moving all of said units to a position removed from normal; indicators carried by said units and all projected on the same side; a plurality of selector bars mounted for movement into positlon transverse tosaid there may be created a tendency to relative movement between each unit and the selectors; and indicators associated with said units and adapted to be at will rendered inoperative; said selectors being mounted for movement to engage the indicators when operative to prevent said relative movement.

18. In combination, a plurality of record units; means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move to a normal position; indicators operatively associated with said units; selectors mounted for movement to engage the indicators to hold the record units against movement toward said normal posi tion; and means for preventing more than one selector at a time to engage and hold the indicators.

19. In combination, a plurality of record units; means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move to a normal position; indicators carried by said units; selectors mounted for movement to engage the indicators to hold the record units against movement toward said normal position; and means for preventing more thanone selector at a time to engage and hold the indicators.

20. In combination, a plurality of record units; means for mounting said units so that they each tend to move to a normal position; indicators associated with said units; selectors mounted for movement to engage the indicators to hold the record units against movement toward said normal position; and means including detents for preventing more than one selector at a time to engage and hold the indicators.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of July, A. D. 1926. r

JAMES POWERS. 

